Fake terror probe, ‘digital arrest’: Senior citizen duped of ₹16.5 Lakh in Mumbai

Mumbai: Amid a nationwide probe by the CBI into digital arrest scams, a 75-year-old retired civic official from Mumbai has allegedly been cheated of ₹16.5 lakh by cyber fraudsters, police said. The accused impersonated officers of the ATS and NIA and subjected the elderly man to a so-called ‘digital arrest,’ falsely claiming his involvement in a Delhi bomb blast case.

The victim, who lives in Andheri East and previously worked with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, lodged a complaint at the West Region Cyber Police Station on Monday, an official said on Wednesday.

Police said the fraud began on December 11, when the victim received a phone call from unknown persons posing as officials from Delhi’s anti-terrorism unit, reported PTI. He was threatened with arrest after being told that his name had surfaced in a terror case linked to a vehicle bomb explosion outside the Red Fort on November 10 last year, which killed more than 12 people.

The callers instructed the victim to download the Signal app, following which they initiated a video call. During the interaction, one of the fraudsters claimed to be NIA officer Sadanand Date. The victim was informed that a bank account connected to his mobile number had allegedly received ₹7 crore through money laundering activities and that he faced imminent arrest.

Citing national security concerns, the fraudsters warned him not to share the matter with anyone. They further told him that his financial assets needed to be verified and directed him to transfer funds to specified bank accounts for scrutiny.

Believing the claims, the victim transferred ₹16.5 lakh. Soon after, the callers blocked his number. Realising he had been cheated, the victim approached the cyber police, who registered a case against unidentified persons.

Digital arrest scams involve criminals posing as law enforcement or government officials and using video or audio calls to intimidate victims into paying money under the threat of arrest or legal action.

In December last year, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to conduct a pan-India investigation into such frauds while hearing a suo motu case based on a complaint by an elderly couple from Haryana. The Ministry of Home Affairs later informed the apex court on January 15 that a high-level committee had been constituted to examine the issue.